Phillip nets first goal in men’s soccer 2-1 loss to UNC Asheville

Senior forward Kai Phillip scored his first goal of the 2023 season in the 16th minute of Monday’s match, along with three total shots. But the Purple Aces couldn’t find the back of the net over the next 74 minutes with six other on-goal opportunities. With an assist on Phillip’s goal, junior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan became the points leader for Evansville with five in four games. While graduate midfielder Carlos Barcia led the team statistically on Monday with three shots and two on goal.

Scoring in the Labor Day matchup began early as UNC Asheville scored in the 11th minute on graduate goalkeeper Jacob Madden. Monday’s game was Madden’s first for the Aces since tearing his ACL in the summer of 2022. In 90 minutes, Madden made five saves in his return to the net and gave UE the opportunity to tie the game up just a few moments later.

Evansville’s lone goal of the contest came in the 16th minute when Diaz Barragan found Phillip open in front of the box while coming down the right side. Once the ball found Phillip’s foot, it took only a second to fake out the Bulldogs goalkeeper and place the ball in the bottom right corner. Phillip had almost an identical chance less than a minute later, but the shot went wide, spurring on a fast and furious Aces attack. UE took eight shots over the next 22 minutes of the half, forcing two saves and two blocks.

The momentum of the first half carried into the second for Evansville with three corner kicks and three shots over the first 10 minutes. But a heavy press from the Bulldogs resulted in a second goal in the 72nd minute for UNC Asheville. The Aces offense became stifled until the final five minutes when Phillip put another shot on goal, forcing a jumping save from the Bulldogs. Barcia made the last shot in the 89th minute but was blocked, keeping UE from earning a point on the road.